NEORSD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Administrative Officer
- Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District in 2005 As Director of Communications and Community Relations
Ms. Haqq joined the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District in 2005 as Director of Communications and Community Relations. She also served as Director of Administration and External Affairs responsible for the organization's internal and external communications, public outreach and education, media relations, customer service and government affairs functions. In March 2019, Ms. Haqq was appointed to Chief Administrative Officer overseeing Administration and External Affairs and Human Resources. Ms. Haqq has held several leadership positions in her career including Executive Director of both INROADS/Northeast Ohio, Inc. and the Nordson Corporation Foundation. A native of Cleveland Ohio, she holds a Bachelors degree from Tufts University and a Masters Degree from Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School of Applied Social Science. She has served on numerous philanthropic boards including: Ohio Boys Town, Inc., Karamu House, Inc., Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital and Business Volunteers Unlimited. Ms. Haqq currently represents the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District on the Greater Cleveland Partnership's Equity and Inclusion Leadership Committee and their Construction Utilities Building Equity (CUBE) Committee. She is also a founding member of the Greater Cleveland Water Equity Partners and participates on the Water Agency Leaders Alliance (WALA), a national organization of water and wastewater executives.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- President
- Chief Operating Officer of the City of Cleveland
Darnell Brown recently retired as Chief Operating Officer of the City of Cleveland where he served the City for more than 47 years. His experience includes overseeing the departments of Public Works, Public Utilities, Mayor's Office of Capital Projects, and the Mayor's Action Center. He was part of the senior leadership for the City of Cleveland and an executive advisor to the Mayor. Brown's civic involvement includes membership on this board and that of the Greater Cleveland Foodbank. He is also the chairman of the board of trustees for the Doan Brook Watershed Partnership and President-Elect of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.
Job Titles:
- Director of Engineering and Construction
Ms. Marshall is joined the Sewer District nearly 20 years ago as an entry-level Engineer and during her tenure served as Planning Manager and Deputy Director of Engineering and Construction prior to her promotion to Director in 2017. Ms. Marshall received her BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Akron in 1997 and her MS in Civil Engineering from Cleveland State University in 2001 and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio. She was part of the District's technical team during Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Consent Decree negotiations with U.S and Ohio EPA and the Department of Justice. As Director, Ms. Marshall is responsible for the delivery of the District's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) including those projects associated with the $3 billion CSO Long-term Control Plan known as Project Clean Lake.
As the Chief Legal Officer, Mr. Luckage manages the District's in-house legal team and the engagement of outside special counsel. He joined the District in April 2016 after 25 years of federal, state and local government experience. He spent 16 years with a private firm representing local governments with water, sewer and stormwater legal issues. Eric was involved in the formation or representation of dozens of regional districts in Ohio and also assisted municipalities, counties and townships. He is on the Board of the Coalition of Ohio Regional Districts and frequently provides testimony on legislation affecting regional districts. He attended The Ohio State University for his undergraduate studies and received his law degree from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio in 1997. While attending law school in the evenings, Eric worked as a Legislative Aide in the Ohio Senate He also worked for five years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office, one of the major funding agencies for rural water and sewer projects.
Job Titles:
- Director of Operation & Maintenance
Mr. Foley began his career with the District as an operator at the Southerly Wastewater Treatment Center in 1988. In his current role, he oversees the operation and maintenance of the District's three wastewater treatment plants, the collection system and affiliated budget centers. Prior to his appointment as Director of Operation and Maintenance, Mr. Foley held various positions in both the Operation and Maintenance and Watershed Programs Departments, including Shift Manager at the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant, Superintendent of Environmental Services, Superintendent at the Westerly Wastewater Treatment Center, and Deputy Director of Operation and Maintenance. Mr. Foley holds a Bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Dayton and a Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University. He is certified by the Ohio EPA as a Class IV Wastewater Operator.
Mayor Bacci was appointed to the Board by the Suburban Council of Governments in 2010. Prior to becoming Mayor, he worked as a patrolman for the Cuyahoga Heights Police Department and eventually became a detective, serving at the department for almost 15 years.
Mr. Bunsey joined the District in May 2010 after working for 25 years as a consulting engineer for a large national water resources engineering firm where he managed several large capital improvement programs with responsibility for five offices as the Midwest Regional Manager. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Ohio University and is a registered Professional Engineer in Ohio. Upon joining the District as Deputy Director of Engineering and then Director of Engineering, Mr. Bunsey was directly responsible for the planning, design, and construction of approximately $220M of projects yearly delivered by the Districts 65-person Engineering and Construction Department as well as implementation of the 25 year, $3 billion Combined Sewer Overflow Program known as Project Clean Lake. As COO he oversees the Operations and Maintenance department which operates the three wastewater treatment plants, numerous pump stations and the 330 miles of large diameter collection sewers.
Job Titles:
- Director of Government & Customer Relations
- Manager of Government Affairs
Ms. Muhammad joined the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District in May 2019 as Manager of Government Affairs, after serving many years in the marketing, communications, and government affairs disciplines, including 11 years with the City of Cleveland's Cleveland Airport System; where she led community relations, engagement, legislative affairs and created the CLE Art Program including the design and construction of the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones Art Gallery. As Director of Government and Customer Relations, she is responsible for directing government affairs, customer service and related activities, including relationships with elected officials, government municipalities at all local levels from cities, county government, civic organizations, and other stakeholders throughout the 63 communities in which the Sewer District serves. She is responsible for enhancing student engagement initiatives, workforce development and for guiding the strategic direction of the customer service department in delivering effective communication links and service to the Sewer District's one million customers. Ms. Muhammad is a Cleveland native, holds a communications degree from Cleveland State University and a Diversity & Inclusion certificate from Cornell University. She represents the Sewer District on affordability initiatives throughout the water/wastewater space and is one of the founding members of Greater Cleveland Water Equity Partners.
Job Titles:
- Director of Administration & External Affairs
- Sewer District in 2006 As a Public Information Specialist
Jean Smith joined the Sewer District in 2006 as a Public Information Specialist. As Director of Administration and External Affairs, she is responsible for internal and external communications, public outreach and education, and media relations. She serves as the Co-Chair of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies' Communications and Public Affairs Committee. Prior to the Sewer District, Ms. Smith worked for the American Red Cross Northern Ohio Blood Services Region handling communications and media relations for 19 counties. She worked at Hermes Sports & Events and Clear Channel Communications (now iHeart Media), including as Promotions Director for 96.5 Kiss FM and Mix 106.5. A native of Columbus, OH, she holds a Bachelor's degree from Baldwin Wallace University and a MPA Degree and a MBA Degree from Cleveland State University (CSU).
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources
Mr. Short joined the Sewer District in May of 2024. With past experience as Chief Talent Officer at Baldwin Wallace University and Director of Talent Management and Development at The MetroHealth System, he has established and advanced leadership development programs, recruitment and retention efforts, and refined information systems processes, experience that will help shape the future of our HR department and our ability to meet the needs of our current and future employees.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
Ken Koncilja has been a member of the Audit Committee since 2014. Ken has over 30 years experience with internal audit and financial reporting. He has been the chief audit executive at four separate Fortune 500 companies most recently with Dana Inc. where he was Vice President, Internal Audit & SOX Compliance. Ken has extensive working knowledge of effective internal controls, financial reporting and risk management. Amongst Ken's extensive resume of working with various business functions, he has significant experiences with fraud investigations, anti-corruption compliance and corporate governance practices.
Mr. Duplay joined the District in June of 2003 as a co-op student and progressed through the Finance Department, being promoted to Controller in January, 2014. He was appointed Chief Financial Officer in May, 2017. In his tenure he has been involved in projects including financial system implementations, debt issuances and utility rate studies. As Chief Financial Officer he is responsible for the overall financial management of the District and oversees the departments of Purchasing, Inventory Control, Contract Compliance and Accounting and Finance. Mr. Duplay holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Accounting from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. His is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the state of Ohio, as well as a Certified Management Accountant (CMA). Mr. Duplay is a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs, Institute of Management Accountants, Government Finance Officers Association and several other state and national organizations.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Wells - Chief Executive Officer
As CEO, Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells oversees the operation of one of the largest clean-water agencies in Ohio, a district that treats nearly 90 billion gallons of water every year thanks to the work of more than 750 employees. She works closely with seven Trustees and nine directors to ensure efficient management of hundreds of miles of sewer and stream networks, a multi-billion-dollar 25-year Project Clean Lake program, and a regional wet-weather strategy for the health of Lake Erie and more than one million residents.
Before becoming CEO, Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells coordinated the District's watershed management, including the Regional Stormwater Management Program and the application of stormwater control measures to reduce combined sewer overflows under the District's Green Infrastructure Policy. She is past chair of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Stormwater Management Committee and the One Water Council of the US Water Alliance. She serves on the NACWA Board and chairs the District 1 Natural Resources Assistance Council for the Ohio Public Works Commission's Clean Ohio Conservation Program. In 2012, Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells received the Stormwater Professional of the Year award from the Ohio Stormwater Association and the NACWA President's Award.
Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She earned master's degrees with honors in both Public Affairs and Environmental Science at Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Samoa. Before joining the District, she was Director of the Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc.
Marjorie Chambers was appointed by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and began her term in March of 2022. Ms. Chambers is the Chairperson of the Northeast Ohio Community Action Program Council (NEO-CAP) and member of the United Auto Workers Union. She is a skilled tradesperson and has worked at General Motors for over 40 years. A two-time graduate of Cuyahoga Community College, Ms. Chambers holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and Labor Relations from Cleveland State University.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Watershed Programs
Mr. Scharver has served as Director since December 2023 and has more than 10 years of service with the Sewer District, including the past six as Deputy Director of Watershed Programs. He is a former Associate Director of the Chagrin River Watershed Partners and spent more than a decade at Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District as a Resource Specialist.
Job Titles:
- Director of Information Technology
Mr. Kurup joined the District in November of 2018. He is a native Ohioan, born and raised in the suburbs of Cleveland. Mr. Kurup graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a bachelor's degree in biology. After college, Mr. Kurup served in the US Army as a combat medic, and a respiratory specialist stationed at Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio. Mr. Kurup has been in the IT field for 25 years and has worked for several multi-national chemical companies, as well as the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Trustee
- Vice President of the Board
Trustee and Board Vice President Ronald Sulik serves as the Chairperson of the Audit Committee, one of three standing committees of the Board of Trustees. The Audit Committee assists the Board as consultants in fulfilling oversight responsibilities with respect to the integrity of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's financial statements, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, independent auditors' qualifications and independence, the performance of the independent auditors and the District's internal audit function, and the annual reporting on the committee's activities.
A former District Trustee from 1985 to 1994, Ronald D. Sulik was reappointed to the Board for his second term by the Suburban Council of Governments in February, 2002. He served as Mayor of the Village of Newburgh Heights for 12 years and has more than 30 years' experience in public and private accounting, budgeting, cost analysis and financial planning. Ronald Sulik also serves as the Chair of the Audit Committee.
Mayor Samuel J. Alai was elected to our Board by the Suburban Council of Governments in 2019 and began his term in 2020. He has served as Mayor of Broadview Heights since 2007. Mayor Alai serves on the Executive Board of the Cuyahoga County Mayors and City Managers Association and the Board of Directors of the Broadview Heights Chamber of Commerce. He is also a Trustee and Founding Member of the Broadview Heights Community Foundation and sits on the NOACA Board of Directors.
Sharon A. Dumas was appointed to the Board of Trustees by the Mayor of the City of Cleveland in 2014. She served as Director of Finance for the City of Cleveland and retired with more than 25 years of private and public sector fiscal management experience. She had previously served as the Assistant Director of Finance, responsible for directing Sinking Fund, Capital Projects and the Office of Budget and Management.